Let's take a trip back to high school for a quick geography lesson -- South-West Conference style.

The SWC encompasses roughly 880 square miles in Connecticut.

Now consider this: Twelve of the 14 SWC boys' basketball championships have been won by three schools (Kolbe Cathedral, Stratford and Bunnell) within seven miles of one another.

Since its inception in 1995, the SWC has been one of the most lopsided conferences in the state.

Those aforementioned Bridgeport-area teams have routinely beaten up on weaker opponents from up north, leaving the Greater Danbury area -- which consists of eight SWC teams ----with just one conference title (Immaculate won in 1997). Weston won the title in 2007.

The mere sight of a Stratford jersey or a powder-blue Kolbe uniform has often sent area players running for the hills.

"We used to get annihilated," said Newtown guard Josh Engler. "We used to know that we'd have to play our absolute best -- play nearly perfect -- to be within 10 or 15 points of (Stratford and Kolbe). Not even to win, just to make it respectable."

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Though Kolbe and Stratford are a combined 22-0 in league play, there's a new program knocking on the door.

There's a new group of players who are unafraid of the traditional SWC bullies.

Meet the Newtown Nighthawks, a cohesive unit of shooters and athletes that has raced out to a 14-3 overall record and a 10-2 mark in the conference.

Engler and fellow swingman Andy Lapple are as polished as any backcourt duo in the league. Both can knock down jumpshots (they combine to average 26.7 points per game and have made 39 three-pointers on the year), explode to the rim, rebound and defend.

But at the same time, both losses served as a friendly reminder: This isn't last year.

This isn't 2005 or 2000.

This year, as Engler puts it, is "a different story."

The kings of the conference are no longer untouchable.

In fact, they're vulnerable.

Aside from the one-point escape over the Nighthawks last week, Kolbe (15-1) -- the lone loss was a non-conference game at Manchester -- has squeaked by in several other wins.

The Cougars fended off New Fairfield by nine, Notre Dame-Fairfield by five, Masuk by three, and beat Danbury (5-12 overall) by just five points early in the season.

In addition, Stratford's close call against Newtown -- not to mention a 14-point fourth-quarter rally needed to beat Pomperaug on Jan. 22 -- has helped the Red Devils realize that the road to the SWC title won't be the cakewalk it used to be.

"Believe me," said Stratford coach Paul Dudzinski. "This team knows it's not just going to show up and win. They're pretty grounded."

As Dudzinksi points out, those down-to-the-wire games were not because Stratford played poorly.

"We played some pretty good teams those nights," he said.

Indeed, the talent distribution in the SWC is balanced for the first time in a while.

Though Stratford has two college players in Payton and center Brandon Sherrod, the Red Devils are not as deep or talented as their 2005 championship team, a dominant squad that included three All-State selections in Kenny Small, Sam Singletary and Henry Reyes, plus a lights-out shooter in Charlie Gill.

As for Kolbe?

There's no Marcus Cox -- a top 50 recruit nationally who signed with UConn in 2000 -- walking in the Kolbe Cathedral hallways.

Yes, Newtown has a trio of very strong players in Engler, Lapple and Lynch, but not one of them holds a candle to T.J. Robinson.

Here's the catch, though: They don't have to.

"There's not one single selfish player on this team," Quinn said. "I know that sounds cliche, but they're all about the team. I've never had a group that was so unselfish with so many good team players and this kind of chemistry."

Make no mistake about it; Newtown has all the ingredients -- depth, talent, cohesiveness and desire -- of a championship team.

"We believe we have a stronger will to win than other teams," Engler said.

And, most importantly, Newtown isn't scared.

"There's no intimidation factor (against Stratford and Kolbe) with these kids," Quinn said.

The Nighthawks truly believe they can beat the two teams that, for so long, were deemed unbeatable.

They believe they can pry the SWC championship trophy away from the Bridgeport-area squads who have clutched it for so long.

They believe that, for the first time in 13 years, the title is headed back north.

Will that belief come to fruition?

At this point, it's too early to tell.

Only one thing is for sure: Newtown is the first Danbury-area team in a long, long time that stands a fighting chance.